Beet-topper for beet-harvesters.



O. KNOERZER. BEET TOPPER FOR BEET HARVESTERS. APPLICATION FILED-ROY. 111909. 9983851 Patented July 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TED stares rarnnrorrms.

orroxNoERzEn, or HAMMoNn, INnIANa, ASSIGNOR TO CHAMPION roraro MA- GHINERY COMPANY, or HAMMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA.

BEET-TOPPER FOR BEETJ-IARVESTERS.

u I W l v, Tofall whom it concern-l I =g-Be it known that ,Orr'ol KNoERzER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Hammond, in the 'countyof'Lake and State ofln'diana, have invented new and useful Improvements in- Beet-Toppers for Beet- Harvesters, of which the following is a specification. o, This i vention relates to beet toppers for .1

beet harvesters, and has for its objectto provide an improved beet topper construct- .ed'ahd arranged to automatically out off a pre'det'ermin'e'd portion of the tops of beets riorlto their removal from the soil, i l oemg well known that the top or upper end of the sugar beet has no 'cominercialvalue,

and is severed from the body of the beet. The position of the beets in thel ground varies considerably, some protruding cohsiderably above the ground, whereas others may be practically under the surface of the soil, and this device has been designed to cut off the tops thereof, regardless of their position in the soil. Y To such ends this invention consists in a suitably supported frame, a vertically movable head carried thereby and having a traveling chain arranged to contact with the beets, and by following the upper cont'ou'r thereof,'rise to the tops thereof, the head being provided with mechanism for severing the tops at a predetermined distance away from the contacting portion of the chain.

It further consists in the several novel features of construction, arrangement and. combinations of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished herewith, in which Figure 1 is a side view of my improved beet topper showing the same mounted upon the frame of an ordinary beet harvester, the

other operating mechanism of the harvester itselfbeing omitted for the sake of clearness, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts seen in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view of the topper head and a fragment of the supporting frame-partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, the line of section being takenat 3-3 Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a detail, face view of the head, Fig. 5 is a detail, vertical section taken on the line 5-'5 of Fig. 4,

Fig.,.6 isra.,detail, horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 1s a Specification of Letters Patent. Pate yflmd July 25, 191 1, J Applicaticin filed Nov ember 1, 1909. Serial No. 525,60,5.

'1' i perspective view of on?I of the links which comprise a certain cha' 1 which forms part of the topper head.

The construction of beet harvesting ma chinery is well known, and in geperal comprises an implement which is propelled along the g ound and provided with mechanisn for severing the foliage from the beets, cutting off the tops thereof and digging.

them out of the ground. The present invention has reference solely to the device for {cutting off the tops of the beets and may e applied toany well known form of beet harvester and I have shown the same as attached to a harvester frame A, which is mounted upon supporting wheels B, that are "secured to an axle O, journaled in bearings 0 carried by the frame A As shown said frame A, comprisestwo longitudinally extending bars 2), which may be connected and braced together in any s itable manner. In use the harvester is pref' ably connected to a truck D, by means of a yoke piece d, and drawn across the field by the horses which are hitched to the truck D.

The topper head is seen at E, and in the form shown, said head is carried by arms 10, which are fulcrume'd upon the frame of I nect with the upright members 13, at their upper ends, while. the braces 12, connect with the upright members at the point where the cross bar 14:, joins said members. The head carries a severing device for cut ting ed the tops of the beets and as shown said device, in its simplest form, comprises a horizontally extending blade 16, provided upon the end of a post 17 which is adjustably secured to pne of the upright members 13, of the head. As shown, bolts and nuts 18, fasten said post to the upright member 13, and said bolts extend through slots 19', in the post, thereby affording vertical adjustment of the knife in order that more or less of the tops of the beets may be removed as is desired.

Mechanism is provided for gaging the.

distance between thetops'of the beets and the point at which it"is desired to sever them by a'sleeve journaled upon a spindle 20?. It is evident that whenever the machme is drawn across the field and the gage mechanism strikes a protruding beet, 1t w1ll be raised thereby, consequently rais ng the knife to the proper point below tlie'top edge of the beet to cutofi the right amount. If the beet isat the surface or below the same,

-tlie gage device will nevertheless properly position the knifewith respect to the top edge of the beet.

' Mechanism is provided for facilitating the movement of the gage device over the tops of the beets, and as shown saidmechanism,

comprises-an endless chain 22, which extends around the sprocket wheel 20, and over a sprocket wheel 23, which is secured upon a sleeve 23, journaled upon a spindle secured to the upper ends of the upright members 13, of the topper head. Said sprocket wheel 23, is driven from the supporting wheels B, by suitable mechanism here shown as comprising a sprocket wheel 24, carried by the shaft 0, a sprocket chain 25, running over said sprocket wheel 24, and over a sprocket wheel '26, secured upon the spindle or shaft 11. Sprocket wheels 27, 28, are secured upon the shaft 11, and sleeve 23*, respectively, and are connectedbya sprocket chain 29. The gearing just described affords a strikes the frame an simple means for continuously moving the chain 22, at-a rate of speed somewhat greater than the forward movement of the machine. The links 30, of the chain 22, are provided with claws 31, which project out therefrom and operate to dig into the beets and climb up on the same, thereby preventing the'forward movement of the head from pushing the beet forward and acting to push the beets back toward the knife, whereby the knife may engage with the beet and begin cutting at the instant that the gage device reaches the top of the beet.

Some of the beets are completely buried in the ground and as to such beets it is desirable to remove some'of the soil adjacent to the tops thereof, and'for this reason two plow shares 32, are provided. one on each side of the gage device] Said plow shares may be carried by supports 33, and braces 34, that project down from the frame bars 6. Said plow shares are intended to operate where the'beets are ,wholly or almost wholly embedded in the soil, in-which case they cut a furrow on each side of the beets and remove the soil adjacent thereto. A stop 35, is provided u on the head E, which limits the downward movement of the head so that the lower end thereof never falls below the plow shares and preferably stops within say two inches of the bottom.

In operation the machine is drawn across the field with the operator guiding the same over the beets. The gage device runs iipon the ground and the knife blade travels the knife has severed the top'of the beet the head drops. to .the ground and travels along the ground and rises and fallswith the contour thereof. It is evident that a predetermined amount of each beet will be severed, regardless of its position in the ground.

I realize that various alterations and modir fications ofthis device are possible without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do. not therefore desire to limit myself to the exact form of construction shown 95 and described I claim as new and desire Letters Patent:

1. A beet topper for beet harvesters, com- Drising an upright movable head, upper and lower sprockets j ournaled therein, an endless to secure by chain trained around said sprockets and having beet engaging claws formed on the links of the chain, gearing for moving said chain-around the sprockets and a beet sever- 1 mg mechanism carried by said head.

2. A beet topper for beet harvesters, comprising an upright oscillatory head, upper and lower sprocketwheels journaled therein an endless sprocket chain passing around said sprocket wheels and having outwardly 1 projecting curved'claws that operate to pull in a direction opposite to'which the head is traveling, and a severing mechanism carried by said head and moving bodily therewith, said severing mechanism having a'knife lo cated below-and to the rear ofthe lowermostv sprocket wheel.

3. A beet topper for beet harvesters, com prising an upright oscillatory head, upper andlower sprocket wheels journaled therein.

an endless sprocket chain passing around said sprocket wheels and having outwardly e tending claws that operate to pull in a directlon opposite to the direction. of movementof said head, a pair of toothed disks rotatively'connected with the lower sprocket Wheel, and a severing mechanismsecured to said head and moving bodily therewith.

4. A beet topper for beet harvesters, comprismg supporting wheels, :1 frame carried thereby, a head, arms secured to said head ting knife, a? plow shares supported from and fulcrumed upon the frame at a point the frame in ependently of the topper head in front of the head, upper and lower for removin the soil at the sides of the sprocket wheels journaled in said head, an beets, said plowshares bein located beside 5 endless chain running over said sprockets the gage device and forwar of the cutting, 20

and having outwardly projecting claws that knife. 0 erate to pull in a direction opposite to the In witness whereof, I have hereunto subdirection of movement of the machine and a scribed my name at Hammond, Lake coun horizontally extending knife blade adjust- Indiana, this 26th day of October-A. 10 ably connected with said head and moving 1909. 4

bodily therewith.

5. A beet topper for beet harvesters, com- OTTO KNOERZER' prising a frame, sup orting wheels, an os- Witnesses:

cillatory topper hea fulcrumed upon said LEONARD Knonazmz,

15 frame and having a gage device and a cut- Cnamm LABATER. 

